Photo by Marty Martindale, courtesy of SCORE
 

The off-road racing community is mourning the loss of Vic Wilson, a pioneering figure in Baja motorsports and the overall car winner of the first NORRA Mexican 1000 in 1967—now known as the SCORE Baja 1000. Wilson made history alongside co-driver Ted Mangels in a Meyers Manx VW buggy, completing the inaugural race in 27 hours and 38 minutes. He returned to victory three years later with Drino Miller, driving a single-seat tube-frame buggy from Ensenada to La Paz in just over 16 hours, outpacing even the motorcycle class.

Beyond racing, Wilson co-founded Saddleback Park near Irvine, California—America’s first off-road park and one of its earliest motocross tracks with visits from two-wheel competition series and events including the CMC Golden State series, Trans-AMA, Out Door MX Nationals, World Mini GP, National Championship Trials, A BMX National, Enduros, TT and Flat Tracks, and the Saddleback Baja. In 1978, he was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame alongside other legends like Parnelli Jones and Malcolm Smith. His contributions to the sport spanned both the U.S. and Mexico, and his impact is still felt throughout the off-road world.